JBL Charge 5 review
Our Verdict
With a new look, a little more ruggedness and improved audio, the JBL Accuse 5 is ane of the all-time Bluetooth speakers — just non one of the cheapest.
For
- Full vocals
- Rich bass
- Good battery life
Against
- Limited app
- Few extras
Tom's Guide Verdict
With a new expect, a fiddling more ruggedness and improved sound, the JBL Charge 5 is ane of the best Bluetooth speakers — only not one of the cheapest.
Pros
- +
Full vocals
- +
Rich bass
- +
Good battery life
Cons
- -
Limited app
- -
Few extras
The JBL Charge 5 is the latest development in the long-lived Bluetooth speaker line. With each generation, JBL has tended to add together a lilliputian flake more than to the Charge's capabilities. With the Charge 5, it makes a few small changes — specially to the blueprint — while likewise simplifying sure features.
The effect is a basic but rugged portable Bluetooth speaker, and ane that sounds expert enough to contend with the best waterproof speakers. All the same, it also ends up more expensive than even better-sounding speakers with more features. Go along reading our full JBL Charge 5 review to find out if it's however worth your cash.
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JBL Accuse 5: Toll and Availability
The JBL Charge 5 has a list price of $179.95, and equally a new production you're unlikely to find it for much less than. You can buy information technology direct from JBL, or order it from Amazon, B&H or Best Buy.
Information technology'southward also worth noting the varied colour schemes available. In addition to solid colors like black, cerise, teal, grayness and the bluish version we received, there's also a version with a cover-up end.
JBL Charge v review: Design
The Accuse 5 received a fairly significant redesign from the Charge 4. The biggest change is the JBL logo: it's much bigger, so there'due south no doubt who made this speaker.
JBL also tweaked the shape and dimensions. At 8.seven x 3.viii ten 3.seven inches, it's slightly shorter and a fiddling plumper in the center than the Charge four. The end caps, which house the passive bass radiators, are cutting at a slight angle, similar to the JBL Flip 5. That gives the speaker a scrap more visual flair, but also causes information technology to lean like the Tower of Pisa if you want to stand it on one end instead of laying it flat.
As with the terminal few versions, the Charge 5 is wrapped in mesh — the same as you'd get on the JBL Go 3 — and has safety cease caps. Having six colors to cull from is nice, though this is actually a step back from the Charge 4, which was bachelor in 12 colors.
On the meridian, you'll find buttons for power, Bluetooth and book upward/down. The play button can as well suspension a rails, or with a double click, advance to the next song. The PartyBoost button pairs two JBL speakers together in stereo mode or multiple speakers in party mode to spread the sound more widely.
On the dorsum there's a USB-C port for recharging the battery, and under a safety flap, a USB-A port that you can utilise to accuse other devices. At least JBL has kept the Charge's namesake feature in each generation. But the Charge v ditches the three.five mm auxiliary connectedness that other generations included.
Below the large JBL logo is a single low-cal that shows the amount of battery power left. The light fades as the power decreases — a slick-looking way to meet the battery life left, though it's non as easy to become an accurate read as the five lights on the Charge 4.
JBL Charge 5 review: Waterproofing
The Accuse line has improved its ruggedness with each iteration. Along with beingness waterproof, the Charge 5 adds resistance to dust, giving it an IP67 rating. That ways you can submerge the speaker in h2o up to 1 meter deep, for up to one-half an hr, without worry.
Sure enough, I dunked the Charge 5 in a sinkful of water and it continued to play without problem. Lite rain or shower jets won't pose a threat in the slightest.
JBL Charge 5 review: Audio quality
The Accuse 5 delivers very good sound for a speaker its size, with easy-to-hear vocals and impressive bass. It sounds more balanced than the Charge four, but information technology isn't as total or wide as our current Bluetooth speaker height option: the UE Megaboom 3.
On Black Pumas's "Fire," the horns came across bright and punchy, while the vocals were clear to a higher place the guitar and keyboards. The menacing bass and thumping drums were prominent on The Weeknd's "Blinding Lights" just didn't overwhelm his singing. However, both songs sounded much fuller and richer on the Megaboom 3, although the vocals weren't every bit far forward in the mix.
The divergence between the two speakers was easier to hear when listening to Fleetwood Mac's "Never Going Back Again;" while Lindsey Buckingham'due south vocals were clearer on the Charge five, the fingerpicked guitars were much fuller on the Megaboom iii.
The Charge 5 put out about 94 dB at max volume — impressively loud, only the audio distorted pretty badly at that level. At a more reasonable 85 dB, the distortion disappeared and it was notwithstanding loud enough to be heard over the din of a party or traffic.
JBL Charge 5 review: Battery life
JBL says the Charge 5 volition run for 20 hours, the same as previous models and the aforementioned equally the Megaboom 3. That seems accurate plenty — after 15 hours of use at more often than not low volume, I had about 25% bombardment left.
Of course, a key feature of the Charge series is its power to act every bit a power banking concern for your phone, though this draws from the aforementioned battery as the speaker itself. So, if you do utilise the Charge five to ability other devices, look a reduction in play fourth dimension.
JBL Accuse 5 review: Wireless and setup
The Charge 5 paired quickly with my phone. It had a good signal up to almost 50 feet indoors, with walls between my phone and the speaker.
You can download the JBL Portable app to upgrade the Accuse five's firmware and see its battery level. The app is also how you manage PartyBoost, to connect to another JBL speaker in stereo mode or party mode. I was able to get PartyBoost to work with the Charge 5 and a Flip 5, only strangely, non a Accuse 4.
The app doesn't permit you brand any kind of sound adjustments. There aren't any preset sound modes or an equalizer. The sound you hear out of the box is the sound you become. UE'southward Boom & Megaboom app, past comparing, offers a five-band equalizer with several presets, as well as other features like an warning and the power to set a one-touch playlist.
JBL Charge v review: Verdict
The JBL Charge 5 is a very skilful Bluetooth speaker. Information technology doesn't have many frills, bated from beingness able to charge some other portable device, but it delivers impressive vocals and bass, and it can withstand the elements.
At $179, its listing price is lower than that of the Megaboom 3 — but UE's speaker has been out for much longer, and frequently sells at a much lower price despite the MSRP. And the Megaboom 3 is a better accommodating speaker, as well, in terms of both audio and features. The only thing the Accuse v can practice that the Megaboom 3 tin can't is charge some other device.
Don't forget about the Sonos Roam either. This, likewise, is more affordable than the Charge 5, despite offering Wi-Fi connectivity and voice assistant smarts.
Still, if you lot're a fan of the JBL sound, want that power bank functionality or but prefer its looks, the Charge 5 is a solid pick for a portable (and waterproof) Bluetooth speaker.
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Source: https://www.tomsguide.com/reviews/jbl-charge-5
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